Movies-TV

Generally Speaking

One of the better performances I've seen from Travola. With that said I liked the story line and the plots twists and turns. I would have liked to have seen more stories with this character made, as I am an avid fan for detective stories and what not.

Turns out to be a taut little thriller, worth seeing once...

A visiting friend insisted we rent this one night recently, and since I am an accomodating host (some say a doormat to guests), we did. I enjoyed it. I like Travolta in almost everything he does, and the supporting cast here is quite good as well. This military murder mystery is fairly predictable, and there really is nothing special about it, yet it works to give a thinking person a night's entertainment.

intelligent plot, some very good acting

A good modern plot that for once isn't full of artificial complexity and doesn't rely on effects, gruesome scenes, etc. This is a very current, if slightly simplistic analysis on the ongoing issues of women in the military. The acting by James Woods is excellent; unfortunately, his character gets little development. The movie works well and moves along well enough to be a strong overall effort. If you are getting fed up with John Travolta acting good ol' American power figures, this one won't help you much, rent "Phenomenon" instead.

Excellent movie, excellent plot

This is not only a "who done it" movie but has excellent social commentary on army life. Travolta was excellent as usual. the movie was extremely well acted and the pace was fast to keep you glued to the screen. There was a scene when James Wood and Travolta was engaged in a intense dialogue...I was just so impressed with the writing. I would recommend this movie to anyone!!! 9 out of 10

'Allo John. Got A New Accent?

The first few minutes of A General's Daughter were disorientating for me.
Here were all the fireworks and action that the trailers had threatened, but here also was the blessed John Travolta acting his little socks off in order to maintain an American South accent. This soon comes to and end and he becomes JT again. The smoke and lights were the tail end of his character's last adventure - a la every Bond movie. Still John is now the debonair army policeman. (CID. Criminal Investigation Department? Cops In Disguise if I remember my Z-cars.) This too does not last. JT soon dons a shabby raincoat and this becomes a mundane whodunit. Shame really. But better than I was expecting.Ron

Good, but not memorable, except for......

I went to see this movie only because I'd heard about it from a friend. I have to say that while I'm glad to see Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta) still working, for the most part the movie was about average mystery material. What made it memorable was Leslie Stefanson's performance, first early in the movie and later about an hour in during the flashback to the rape that triggered everything. I have a lot of admiration for an actress willing to go that extra mile. The flashback only takes a few minutes, but it suddenly makes the whole preceding part of the movie make some sense...which by now it badly needs as things are getting confused.

Alternative Ending is the Best!!

In the special edition at the end of the tape, they show an alternative ending. It is much better than the original ending.

As usual, Travolta stands out. He does an excellent job of portraying a Warrant Officer and puts military, officer B.S. in its place.

As good as the movie is, the book is better.

Lighten up

You guys need to lighten up on this stuff. Travolta did a pretty good job and I enjoyed the movie. He has grown as an actor for years. If you don't like it - turn it off. Don't dead pan him because you don't like him! Ms. Stowe - who yah guys want? Give me a break - nothing wrong with her acting ability. Better than who? You answer that! Can't say nothing good, why torture yourself watching it? The worst movie I ever saw is rated like a 9 by critics, "Death in Venice" They are just movies - and not many of you here are going to be Ebert and his buddies? Lighten up - they are only people trying to have fun. Not your perfect fantasy. Like you have one!

A four star of a thriller

Simon West (Con Air) is a great director, and his moives are alway well presented onto the screen. The General's Daughter is no expection, its a good movie, with a very strong cast. The film stars John Travolta(Army investigator), Madeleine Stowe(CID officer), James Woods(Gay officer) and James Cromwell(The General). Travolta is basically investigating the murder of the General's daughter, which may lead to the fall of her father's career. The story finally brings around the question to Travolta, if hes either a police offier or a soilder. The story is good, acting very good and direction even better. An above average thriller. The DVD offers a few features, most notable the deleted scenes, and as usual you can see why the scenes were deleted. A good DVD too.

See it for Travolta

Finally! A movie about the grisly murder of a beautiful young woman involving kinky sex on videotape. And a good old-fashioned military murder investigation. Well, OK, we've seen enough of that. But John Travolta is terrific in TGD. Clever, relaxed and indestructible. The grown-up banter of Travolta and Stowe is much more interesting than the googly-eyed romantic fluff of, say, Notting Hill. (Violence Warning: One bloody scene reminded me that I need to buy a Cuisinart. My friends were overwhelmed by an intense rape scene. Rape victims be forewarned -- better rent it and FF.)

A Psychological Murder Mystery of the Rape of a Female Officer

Sometimes a murder mystery is ruined by the red herrings that are thrown clumsily into a movie to keep the viewer guessing. The problem with this is that sometimes the red herrings are unrealistic and patronising. In my opinion there is nothing of the kind in this film; it cleverly trusts the intellectual perceptions of the viewer, doesn't condescend and can be watched on a variety of levels.This has to be experienced though, it is very much an active film. The viewer knows that as the plot unravels there is a twist that has more or less been worked out by the cleverly crafted scripted dialogue. So when all is gradually revealed there is a sense of pride comes over the viewer that it was more or less worked out before the end but excitingly so; if not with a great deal of negative emotion and great sadness at the subject matter.John Travolta plays a military investigator to a believable if not slightly charismatic degree. I particularly liked how the construct of the film establishes Travolta's character early on in the film as someone who can look after himself when an attempt is made on his life: it TELLS us that this guy is nobody's fool and can handle himself. When one of his superiors on the phone tells him to drop his cheesy southern accent Travolta quips back "Hey it's this cheesy Southern Accent that's keeping me alive!" Madeleine Stowe plays Travoltas investigative sidekick expertly well adding EXTRA tension to a script that already has the viewer on the edge of their seat. Since they both have had a past intimate relationship with each other there is the bitter-sweet interjections that one would expect in real life which adds further gritty realism to one of the most poignant subject matters one could think of.That subject is rape. But this is no ordinary Rape and Murder. (what is?) The general's daughter who is herself highly intelligent makes an early and vital appearance in the film where she helps Travolta change a blown tire. This establishes, if not albeit briefly a chemistry between the general's daughter and Travolta which makes it more poignant when upon the crime scene she is discovered tied to the ground naked and apparently raped with the apparent cause of death, asphyxiation.The Generals Daughter herself plays a complex character; her statement, "We **** with peoples minds" is funny until the script quickly unravels itself to the tearful conclusion that there CAN be things worse than rape. I am not going to mention what is worse than rape but I did cautiously include a spoiler warning in case it can be worked out via this review.For me, this film explores the different rules that one establishment follows over an other: "The right way, the wrong way, and the Army way" And The daughter of the general's extracurricular activities, SHOCKING at first at least becomes understandable and lays bare why we sometimes act the way we do after terrible experiences.I know someone very close to me. His mother was raped and he was the result; later in life he also was raped and the result for him? Let's just say that spiteful behaviour, bizarre behaviour, strange behaviour can and usually has a reason but its those reasons that are often missed to the detriment of the "victim" and those who interact with that "victim". This is where insight comes in useful and starkly warns us that sometimes NOT EVERYTHING IS AS WHAT IT SEEMS! The daughter of the general had an enemy worse than the men who raped her. It was that enemy that drove her to the "bizarre" behaviour which had its own logic albeit a twisted logic, it was that logic that for her, could be used against the enemy. Her behaviour and logic and extracurricular activities even begins to make sense to the viewer. As I mentioned previously the film can be watched on various levels and people take their experiences to a film and get there experiences confirmed and expanded. With this element in focus it reminds us that we humans as a social creation like to watch films: it is like reading; we read to know that we are not alone and that can be very comforting.A GRIPPING FILM; WELL RESEARCHED; CLOSE ATTENTION TO DETAIL; WELL DIRECTED; WELL ACTED; WATCH IT AS SOON AS YOU CAN!

Poor marketing projects the wrong image of a solid thriller.

The stuffy, conservative title, that poster of Travolta in rigid army salute pose...all that serve to obscure the virtues of this above-average, at times truly gripping thriller.

Travolta excels in a tailor-made role, combining irreverence and aggressiveness with intensity. Leslie Stefanson is quite good in a challenging titular role, and Madeleine Stowe, despite a role that reeks of wallflower, bursts into life in the one major confrontation scene where she interrogates a queasy, chauvinistic witness in a steamy locker room. Director Simon West (who was responsible for the okay, critically blasted Con Air) keeps the pacing pretty tight throughout, and James Woods shines in an unorthodox supporting role -- when he faces off with Travolta in three separate scenes, it's a delight.

Contrived plotting and some overacting supporting players (the watchtower scene with the private who witnessed the murder, for example, is melodramatic to the point of being ridiculous, and Timothy Hutton falls uncharacteristically flat) are some of the negatives in this film. But well worth watching.

Great movie for him and her!

My husband and I BOTH enjoyed "The General's Daughter" (quite unusual!). It was suspensful, exciting, romantic and a great story overall. The story line was intriguing and the outcomes unpredictable (for those of us who always know the ending before it starts!) An overall good movie.

A different type of military cover-up movie

This was a very interesting movie with some amazing actors fueling it. I went to this movie expecting it to be another bad movie about military cover-ups, and while it was about that - it wasn't a bad movie - I actually really enjoyed it. James Woods, who I normally despise had the coolest character in the whole film - while John Travolta's was also very interesting, and he was good as usual [thank you again Tarantino for having the brains to bring him BACK!!!]. Madeline Stowe was also really good but I've seen her play that character before... many, many times. The plot was not overly complicated and easy to follow - signs of good pacing from a decent director, it was an excellent tale of revenge - I enjoyed it - and if you normally don't like these types of movies - then ignore what you consider these types - because it isn't - it's on it's own class.

Some interest but overall a poor picture

** Some Serious Spoilers **This is another overproduced piece of schlock wrapped up in PC clothing.
John Travolta, here in a middling performance, plays an Army CID warrant officer who is assigned the murder case of a young Army captain, who also happens to be the daughter of a high-profile general. Madeline Stowe plays his partner and former love interest, a subplot taken exactly nowhere in the film. Also scattered throughout are performances by notable character actors, chief among them James Cromwell, James Woods, and Timothy Hutton.
All of these actors are likeable and have done good work. Unfortunately, not here.While the premise held some interest, the execution is simply poor. First, the dialogue is laughable in places. When Travolta first meets the general, he gives what would be a wildly inappropriate speech about what a great guy the general is, all the while with Stowe looking up at him admiringly in not one but THREE shots. It improves with Travolta and Woods and I began to hope that the film would start to improve with it. However, Woods exits about halfway through, leaving a supposedly cryptic clue that I answered correctly immediately. I'm not patting myself on the back here -- anyone and everyone should have gotten it. Several times during the investigation, Travolta's character goes out of his way to insult the local police chief... but you never understand why and it's never developed. Army personnel act as if rank is a loose guideline when addressing each other -- hardly realistic. I could go on and on, but it starts sounding worse than it really was; it's not horrible, it's just that little effort was put into it.Typical of mediocre pictures in this genre, the film is rarely well lit, even in daytime scenes, trying desperately to give some ambiance. Other times, it tries for hot and sweaty. Didn't anyone ever decide what the mood was supposed to be? It only serves to be annoying and draws attention to its sense of desperation.Then there is the matter of the victim, a veritable Job as it turns out whose idea of therapy is re-enacting a rape that occurred several years in her past. And this victim leads a specialized psychological warfare unit?
Don't you think that people in charge of such a program MIGHT POSSIBLY have to undergo some pretty intense psychological vetting first? And since it would be a highly classified program, the sexual history of the victim would have DEFINITELY kept her out of it. Instead, this really smelled like a way for the producers to exploit some S&M fantasies while scolding men for engaging in -- S&M fantasies! Good grief. Very, very misogynistic fantasies at that.The ending actually came as a bit of a surprise. However, it also was used to just serve up some tired clichés about impotent military men (or men in general). It also unfortunately gave Travolta a chance to make one last wildly inappropriate soliloquy to (or at) Cromwell in what I'm sure everyone thought would be the film's "A Few Good Men" moment. It left me rather flat instead.So, to sum up, a lot of wasted talent, bad dialogue, very poor research ("You have no rights"? UCMJ, anyone?), and lousy cinemotography adds up to a bad-to-mediocre effort. It's not Battlefield Earth by any means ... but it's farther away from "Caine Mutiny" and "A Few Good Men" than that infamous dog. Catch it on cable for the always luminous Stowe, then pop in your DVD of either "Get Shorty" or "Last of the Mohicans" for the two stars at the top of their games.

So-so

It was... OK at best. It was not the cinematic experience I was expecting, that's for sure. James Woods did a fine job, and even John Travolta was pretty good. The plot itself, however, was pretty bad. All too often movies tout themselves as "murder mysteries" when there is no possible way to find out who the murdered is. Such is true for this movie, where the perpetrator seems to come out of nowhere.

Good all around fun!

I really did like this movie. I'm not usually into stuff that has to deal with war and the army and such, but this was more like a psychological thriller. It really suprised me in the end. I like the music which is so representative of the area where this takes place. The first song in the movie is just amazing. I love the acting and i think that this cast pulled off a really great feat. I watch this movie over and over again because it is thrilling and has great acting.

The Year's Most Offensive film

Is rape "entertainment"? Director Simon West seems to think so. Here, there are 3 scenes of women being either raped, threatened with rape, and/or ASKING for rape (not to mention a LONG sequence with a naked body staked to the ground spread-eagled). Remember Simon West's last pic, CON AIR? There you had the touching site of Rachel Ticotin handcuffed to the plane and threatened with rape for about half the film (plus the lovely sequence of a child molester "playing" with a little girl). Now, of course, rape CAN be a suitable topic for a serious film, but A GENERAL'S DAUGHTER can never seems anything more than exploitation. Even as death, abuse and torture abound, Travolta and Madeline Stowe (why Ms.Stowe?) never are too concerned or busy not to take frequent time-outs to crack wise and have "witty" banter. If a more offensive and tasteless film is released this year, I hope I don't see it.

Save your money, buy the book!

The engrossing Nelson DeMille novel was turned into a boring, hard to follow, predictable movie. The book draws you into Ann Cambell's world, the movie never does. It is a complicated story with many twists and turns and there is no way a 2 hour movie could do it justice.

a soft feminist analysis

The General's Daughter is quite a compelling film with particularly outstanding performances from James Cromwell and James Woods. John Travolta's performance is fine, if a little uneven, and Madeleine Stowe is good, but somewhat limited by a script which is sometimes banal, particularly in her lines. The previews have been showing the scene in which the detective asks "What's worse than rape?" and the answer is: "When you find that out, you'll know everything." When what's worse than raped is finally revealed, it's fairly nonsensical. But also it shows a very limited understanding of rape. And it perpetuates the notion that rape is a physical act bounded temporally by the frame of sexual intercourse. The social and emotional circumstances surrounding rape ARE rape, and portraying rape as a physical act, and the resulting trauma as something else (ie. "betrayal") is a dangerously reductive interpretation.Nonetheless, some really outstanding acting, and a few very compelling scenes in a mediumly-scripted version of what I've heard is a brilliant novel. Also interesting portrayals of some "aberrant" sexual behaviour...all bound up by the theatricality that seems to be an inherent part of army life.